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St. Mary Medical Center has been proud to serve the High Desert community for over 50 years. From our humble roots in 1956 we have grown into a 204-bed medical center with over 150 doctors representing a multitude of disciplines. From pediatrics to oncology and even internal medicine, our physicians strive to offer the highest quality in all medical fields.

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Our goal is to provide the best healthcare possible for our patients. St. Mary Medical Center offers accredited programs, the latest technology and compassionate care. At St. Mary, we offer a full continuum of care to meet the healthcare needs in the High Desert.
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Patient Information

It is our pleasure to welcome you to St. Joseph Health, St. Mary. Our primary goal as a High Desert hospital is to provide you with the highest quality of care possible. Our commitment to caring for the whole person-body, mind, spirit-is a means of fulfilling the mission of our sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and the Brothers of St. John of God.

We have prepared a guide to answer questions you may have during your hospital stay, to explain some of the necessary policies and procedures, and to acquaint you with the services we provide for your care, comfort and convenience.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask your nurse or your doctor, or feel free to contact a patient services representative at (760) 242-2311 extension 8865. We are pleased that you and your doctor have chosen our hospital. While you are with us, we'll do our best to ensure your comfort and recovery.

Care Management/Discharge Planning

The care manager helps coordinate your care and acts as your liaison among the many healthcare programs, providers and services. Our Care Management Department is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and can be reached at extension 8356. On-call care managers are available daily until 11:00 p.m. by calling the administrative coordinator at extension 8171.

Chapel

Located on the first floor near the main entrance to the medical center, our chapel is always available to patients, their families and hospital visitors. The chapel is open during daylight visiting hours. If you would like to visit the chapel outside these hours, it can be arranged through your nurse or the administrative coordinator at extension 8171.

Ethics Awareness and Resources

St. Mary seeks to place ethics awareness, resources and processes as close to the patient as possible. The hospital’s clinical ethics response team offers consultation to healthcare professions, patients and their families when ethical considerations or personal dilemmas arise. The goal of the response team is to focus on ethical issues in order to enhance the quality of care the patient receives and to provide support and guidance for family members and care providers who are dealing with these troubling issues. All consultations are advisory in nature.

Fire Alarms

Fire alarms may sound while you are in the hospital; they are loud ringing bells and flashing lights. When this occurs, we request your cooperation. Please return to your room and remain there until “all clear” is announced. Do not use elevators during this time. If there is an immediate danger, patients and visitors will be directed by hospital staff.

Gift Shop

The auxiliary gift shop, Sunshine Square, is located immediately past the main lobby. Sunshine Square carries greeting cards, plants, flowers, convenience items and gifts. Proceeds from the gift shop and yearly auxiliary special projects are donated to the medical center.

Hours of Operation

Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Going Home (Discharge)

Your physician will decide when you are ready to be discharged and will advise the nursing personnel. Hospital discharge time is 11 a.m. When preparing to be discharged, please ask your nurse to help you make arrangement to pick up any valuables that you may have stored in the hospital safe. Your nurse will assist you in gathering your belongings and check to make sure you return home with all items that you had upon arrival to the hospital. Wheelchair transportation is available within the hospital and to your car. A responsible adult needs to be available to provide transportation to your home. A discharge lounge is available for delays in transportation.

Lost and Found

For questions about an item that has been lost or found, please contact patient relations at extension 8865.

Mail and Flower Delivery

Flowers and any mail addressed to you will be delivered to your room. Mail received after your discharge will be forwarded to your home address. Flowers delivered after your discharge will be returned to the florist, who will then take responsibility for contacting you concerning flower delivery.

Flowers are welcomed in all areas of the medical center except for the critical care and neonatal intensive care units. It is best to send flower to a critical care patient after he or she has been transferred to a room outside the critical care unit.

Medications

Please give your nurse a list of any and all medications you are taking, including dosage(s) and times. Your nurse will review these with your physician, who will make a decision on which medication(s) you should continue to take during your hospitalization. Your nurse will bring your medication to you as ordered by your physician. All medications you may have brought with you, including over-the-counter medications, should be returned home, as they may interfere or interact with tests or medicines ordered for your treatment. If you must use your own medication from home, a physician order must be obtained. The medication will then be kept in the medication cart and given to you by your nurse.

Newspapers

Newspapers may be purchased outside St. Mary emergency entrance. Papers include the Daily Press, High Desert Sun, Los Angeles Times and USA Today.

Patient and Family Support Services

Chaplains are available to assist patients, their families and/or significant others in a variety of situations. Arrangements can be made to contact your own priest, rabbi or person of faith. Please let your nurse know if you would like to speak to a chaplain or contact the administrative coordinator at extension 8171.

Patient Meals

Your meals are a vital part of your medical care. They are prescribed by your physician and prepared under the supervision of registered dieticians and food serve professionals. A diet aide places your appropriate menu on your food tray. An auxiliary member will collect your menu and provide assistance, if necessary, in filling it out.

If you are on a general diet, you may select the foods you like from our menu. The meals you choose will generally be for the following day. We will make every effort to allow you to select your meals on the day of admission. If for any reason you are unable to complete your menu order, you will be served the regular menu scheduled for that meal according to your physician’s orders. If you have any questions about your diet, please ask a member of our dietary staff to visit with you. Please let your nurse know if you have questions or comments about your meals.

Patient Relations

Patient Relations Representatives are available to assist you with any questions or problems you might have during your stay. You may reach your patient relations representative weekdays from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. by dialing extension 8865. Should the patient relations representative be out of the office visiting another patient, please leave a message with your name and room number and a representative will return your call as soon as possible. After-hours: If immediate assistance is necessary, please contact the hospital’s administrative coordinator at extension 8171.

Safety

The safety of our patients is of primary concern to the entire staff at St. Mary. We work to ensure that programs and processes exist that provide appropriate protection, safety and security for all employees, volunteers, patients, families, visitors, vendors, medical staff and organization property. All staff members wear a medical center identification badge. You should not be approached for tests, meals or any services by anyone not wearing this badge. Security officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Should you need the assistance of a security officer, dial “0” and the medical center operator will contact the security office for you.

Smoking Policy

For your health and the health of all employees and visitors, St. Mary is a non-smoking facility. Smoking is permitted outside the building at various designated locations. We request that smoking be done away from the exits in an effort to prevent smoke from being carried inside the buildings when the door is opened.

Medical Social Workers

The care management department at St. Mary is staffed by qualified Medical Social Workers who are available to help you make practical and emotional adjustments to changes that you may be experiencing during your time of illness. Our Medical Social workers can assist you in many ways, which can include providing referrals to resources or services, acquiring information, problem solving, exploring identified needs and providing support. If you would like to speak with a social worker, please contact your nurse.